Clean Water for Choupette

When we first met her, Choupette was a 10-year-old girl living in horrendous circumstances in Grand Boulage, Haiti. Every morning, she would put on her tattered shoes, grab her two-gallon water bucket, and set out to collect water for her family.

She had been making this treacherous hike down a mountainside every day since she was an infant strapped to her mother’s back. At the tender age of 5, the heavy responsibility of gathering water for her family was placed on Choupette alone. The never-ending task of collecting water throughout each day prevented her from attending school or being able to enjoy her childhood.

To make matters worse, the water source Choupette relied on was a tiny stream that was contaminated by animal feces, parasites and other bacteria. Her mother would pour bleach into the filthy water in an attempt to kill the bacteria, but as you might imagine, Choupette was frequently sick.

Despite how hazardous the water was, Choupette would sometimes return home with an empty bucket because other community members who were equally desperate for water would crowd her out. “When I come home with no water, I have to go back later in the day and try again,” Choupette said when we first met. She added, “I ask Him to deliver us from this misery.”

Thankfully, Food For The Poor donors responded to Choupette’s plight and helped provide a solution to their most pressing problem. They now have their own reservoir that collects rainwater.

“We feel so much better now. We can get water anytime we want,” Choupette’s mother, Jadel, told us proudly.

Thanks to Food For The Poor donors, Choupette now has access to clean water. And for the first time in her life, she has the opportunity to attend school.